Negros Occidental, Philippines

Negros Occidental (29 May) — To make the P18.25 NFA rice more accessible to the consumers, the National Food Authority and the Department of Social Welfare and Development thru its local counterpart, is set to add 120 more Tindahan Natin outlets all over the province.

To date, there are already 327 existing and operating Tindahan Natin outlets in Negros Occidental. With the 120 additional outlets, the number will reach to 447 provincewide by June 2008.

The Tindahan Natin (TN) outlets make up 74 percent of the NFA Accredited outlets, Bigasan ni Gloria sa Palengke (BGP) is 21 percent and Bigasan sa Parokya (BSP) is 5 percent, records of the National Food Authority showed.

In Bacolod City, there are four BGPs in Burgos North Market, three in Central Market and three in Libertad South Market while there are three participating churches for Bigasan sa Parokya in the province.

“These (outlets) give the consuming public more outlets all over the province to avail of the NFA rice at P18.25 per kilogram,” NFA Provincial Manager Marianito Bejemino said during the recent City Peace and Order Council meeting.

Meanwhile, Bejemino said that their Food for School Project with the Department of Education is temporarily stopped, in which they plan to revive come the opening of classes.

So far, they had served some 17,705 students and the project has still has a long way to go to reach target of 50,000 students. (PIA/EAD)

Negros Occidental (29 May) — The SM Foundation Incorporated distributed books to 26 day care centers, 54 elementary and 11 secondary schools in Cauayan, Negros Occidental, recently as part of its “Donate A Book 2008″ program.

The donation was in cooperation with the Bato Balani Foundation, Catholic Association of the Philippines, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Municipality of Cauayan and the Department of Education – Negros Occidental.

Educational and reference books, magazines and novels were donated to public schools of Cauayan, to help augment book shortage in their libraries.

SM Foundation has been setting up donation booths at SM malls to encourage shoppers share their old books, and help the less fortunate who could not afford to buy their own. The campaign has collected over 2.4 million books nationwide and benefited 10,000 public schools and libraries in areas where SM Supermalls operate.

In cooperation with Negros Press Club, the donated books collected at SM City Bacolod in 2007 were also distributed to 26 Day Care Centers, 16 elementary schools and 14 high schools in Bacolod City. (PIA/cad)

THE last two typhoons may have spared Negros Occidental from total devastation but the Grains Retailers Association (GRA) admitted “the succeeding confluence of events and factors could cause another round of price increases for rice.”

Negros GRA president Nene Nacion said: “Probability is high considering that classes are about to begin and harvest season is yet to peak this August. Opening of classes means that the demand for rice will increase in urban centers, thus jacking up the price which could settle in a much higher level than the previous rounds.”

He added the problem of rice wholesalers and retailers is they did not stock up a higher inventory for fear of being branded as hoarders, thus the present market supply may not immediately meet the demand of urban centers.

Nacion said the situation is exacerbated by the high cost of fertilizer. A group of sugar planters is planning to hold a prayer rally on Saturday to ask the government to do something about the exorbitant fertilizer cost.

He also partly blamed the seemingly incessant repair works of the Bago River Irrigation System (BRIS) that could have reinforced rice productivity in Negros Occidental. By Gil Alfredo B. Severino

Sun.Star Bacolod

By MARTY GO
ABS-CBN Bacolod

Labor representatives in the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Western Visayas filed their formal opposition at the labor department against Wage Order No. 16 which was passed last week.

The wage order grants a P15 Emergency Relief Allowance (ERA) for workers of the private sector in Region VI.

Federation of Free Workers (FFW) official and Labor Representative to the regional wage board. Wennie Sancho said he vehemently opposed the issuance of the wage order by not affixing his signature. Sancho said it was a symbol of protest against what the labor leader said was an added form of injustice to destitute workers.

ABS-CBN News